Newsletters from Fiji

Our staff in Fiji regularly put together a newsletter which is sent to volunteers working in Fiji at the time, those signed up to join a project in Fiji and to previous volunteers. The newsletters contain information about the country and our projects, stories written by volunteers, advice on what to expect when volunteering abroad in Fiji and much more. If you're considering overseas voluntary work the newsletters are a great way to gain a better idea of what to expect.

Before starting the first day of the group exercise classes at the Namaka Public School, I was in a rather poor mood. It was just one of those days where everything was going wrong. However, my day took a dramatic turn-around as soon as the execise class began.

Our nutrition volunteers conducted free health checks for the market vendors who sell local fruit and vegetables at Nadi town market. The local people lined up to have their blood pressure, glucose levels and weight checked. They even received free consultations on how to improve their eating habits and how to live a healthier life.

"Apart from the children, everyone has been very supportive and friendly, especially our coordinator and the villagers. I never felt like I was away from home because of the way our host parents and family have treated us.. I expected to feel very homesick during my stay in Fiji but I was made to feel very welcome and the entire experience was worthwhile and meaningful."

World Ocean Day was celebrated by the Shark Conservation Project, which has opened miniprojects to help marine life grow for Fiji. They conserve sharks in Fiji by using the BRUV (Baited Remote Underwater Video) system to keep track of the shark population, shark feeding and shark tagging. The replanting of mangrove propagules and the recycling project has developed the mangrove population for the Galoa village. This helps the villagers keep their environment clean while also increasing the amount of marine organisms along the coastline.

This photo was taken at Arya Samaj Primary School in Nadi during a Sports lesson with my lovely kids from year 2. I’m really grateful that I got the chance to work with them and I had such a great time. A big Vinaka to Projects Abroad for making this wonderful experience possible.

It is Easter Time! A time to remember that all human life matters and in Projects Abroad, the staff and volunteers have the chance to show the world that we care and we are taking active steps to make a difference in the lives of so many people around the world.

Let’s Congratulate the March Photo Competition Winner Mr Jorel Delepine from the Shark Conservation Project. Enjoy this awesome photo of him treading in our beautiful seas just in front of Beqa Island. It is surely a unique moment captured in Fiji. Vinaka Jorel.

Projects Abroad Fiji conducted a Shark awareness programme at the Holiday School program for the children at Saunaka village in Nadi. The activities included drawing & colouring of sharks, learning types of sharks, writing a story about sharks and learning the importance of sharks for the marine life.

Chinnamma Reddy - We would like to say farewell to our former Country Director Mrs. Chinnamma Reddy, who has been a great asset to Projects Abroad. Chin, who has been with the company since 2010, has taken the organization to a higher level and we sincerely thank her for her achievements, outstanding contribution and most importantly her sacrifices.

Ratu Nalukuya Infant Primary School in Saunaka Village in Nadi had officially opened to cater for the children of Saunaka Village. Projects Abroad volunteer Mr. Moritz Heitzmann is based at the school to help teach the students basic syllables and subjects. He is enjoying his work so far and is happy with the students at the school.

In July and August this year, Nadi hosted 17 young and enthusiastic volunteers from around the globe to our summer 2 Week Special Programme. Under the guidance of their supervisor, Mrs Emi Sokidrau, the volunteers were on a mission to complete their respective projects; car-ing for the young children, assisting with and providing floor carpets, painting the children’s park and refurbishing the school compound at Nawaka District and Sabeto District Schools.

Sylvester Toldsted is a 20-year-old volunteer from Denmark who was placed at a Teaching Project at As-semblies of God Primary School in Suva. Sylvester had a cheerful personality and was always a joy to speak to. He tells us of his experiences while volunteering for Projects Abroad Fiji.

You may have heard the latest buzz in Fiji. We've been given the green light to begin our Shark Conser-vation Project as of January 2014 and are now taking in applications from everyone interested. This is going to be an exciting new project as Fiji is renowned for its diverse marine life as well as great diving spots in the Pacific region.

Our community project is well underway in Galoa Village and we’ve seen the arrival of many volunteers all keen to get their hands dirty doing a variety of things in the village like working in the plantations and teaching in the schools. Our hosts in the village have been absolutely wonderful and the volunteers are really enjoying themselves.

“I knew my time at Treasure House would be rewarding, but what I didn’t know was how rewarding and how quickly I would fall in love with all of the children,” said Karen Ngwenya, the Science Operations Officer at Coombabah State High School, who decided to spend two weeks of her time volunteering in Fiji.

Since beginning in August 2011, our English Language Course here in Fiji has been growing and devel-oping steadily. Teacher Prashneel Goundar runs his English lessons alongside his duties as Nadi Office Manager. So far he has helped 21 students from almost 10 different countries to improve their written and spoken language skills.

My name is Mitieli Savu (but you can call me Miti) and I’m from the lovely Fiji Islands. Prior to joining Pro-jects Abroad Fiji, I was at-tached with the STOP (Sports Training Outreach Program) HIV Program for three years as a member of the STOP HIV Champions.

Rixt believes her view of the world has changed in the sense that she had met some of the most amazing people during her stay. She adds on, “When I finally get back home, I will encourage others to do voluntary work as well.”